Productivity Dispersion and Sources of Technical Inefficiency in Smallholder Timber Mills in Ogun State, Nigeria

The concept of technical efficiency is critical to measuring the firm performance, determining the degree of innovative technology adoption, overall production efficiency and sustainability of livelihood options. Our research evaluates technical efficiencies in the sawmilling sector. Specifically, the main objective of the study was to assess technical efficiency dispersion and determine the significant, firm-specific, factors that cause technical inefficiencies in sawmilling operations. Maximum-likelihood methods are applied in the estimation of the parameters of the model. In the study, panel (3 years) data from 68 sawmills was used in the empirical analysis. The primary decision-maker in the sawmill has an average age of 53years with a mean of 17years of experience in sawmill management. The average operational age of the sawmill is 13years. There were considerable wide variations, at the firm level, in technical efficiencies recorded over the periods. The estimated average technical efficiency of the sampled sawmills for the three years (2007-2009) is 61.9%. The result revealed that the initial efficiency gained in 2007 was not sustained as efficiency dropped in 2009 to 57.9%. The firm specific variables that influence technical efficiencies are owner’s status as timber contractor, ownership of timber trucks, years of experience and age of the manager. The study recommends that technical and management training/workshop should be organized by relevant government agencies to regularly update operators’ knowledge. Import policies should be targeted to encourage acquisition and use of modern sawmilling machines and equipment. Also, public power supply to the sawmill clusters should be improved to reduce the high processing cost associated with the use of diesel powered electricity generation sets. &nbsp

CONTRIBUTION OF FORMAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO CASSAVA PROCESSING IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA

The study was carried out to assess the contribution of Formal Financial Institutions (FFIs) to income of cassava processors in Benue state, Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 234 cassava processors from 18 communities in the state. Data on credit sources and uses, processing activities and income were collected using structured questionnaires. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics while the impact of the credit was assessed using the before and after comparison. The result shows that about a third of the processors had access to formal credits. The Nigerian Agricultural Bank ranked highest (83%) in terms of patronage. Commercial and microfi-nance banks«¤?? lending to cassava processing represented about 12% and 5% respectively of the total credit received. Majority (70%) of the processors received less than N100, 000 per year; an average of N63,152, which is about 12% of total amount, required. Credit financing from formal financial institu-tions was found to have significant effects on both the output of garri and flour processed and the profit from garri, flour and chips«¤?? processing. The credit use structure shows that over 65% of the credit was use to increase processing scale, through increase in the purchase of raw tubers and payment for processing labour

CONTRIBUTION OF FORMAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO CASSAVA PROCESSING IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA

The study was carried out to assess the contribution of Formal Financial Institutions (FFIs) to income of cassava processors in Benue state, Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 234 cassava processors from 18 communities in the state. Data on credit sources and uses, processing activities and income were collected using structured questionnaires. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics while the impact of the credit was assessed using the before and after comparison. The result shows that about a third of the processors had access to formal credits. The Nigerian agricultural bank ranked highest (83%) in terms of patronage. Commercial and microfinance banks’ lending to cassava processing represented about 12% and 5% respectively of the total credit received. Majority (70%) of the processors received less than N100, 000 per year; an average of N63,152, which is about 12% of total amount, required. Credit financing from formal financial institutions was found to have significant effects on both the output of garri and flour processed and the profit from garri, flour and chips’ processing. The credit use structure shows that over 65% of the credit was use to increase processing scale, through increase in the purchase of raw tubers and payment for processing labour

Chloroquine prophylaxis associated with high prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum Pfcrt K76T mutation in people with sickle-cell disease in Benin City, Nigeria

Background & objectives: High mortality and morbidity in sickle-cell disease has been associated with malaria infection especially in countries where chloroquine is used. Chloroquine resistance has been associated with the emergence of Pfcrt mutant genes. This study aimed at comparing the prevalence rate of Pfcrt T76 mutation in Plasmodium falciparum isolates from infected individuals with sickle-cell disease and sickle-cell trait. This study was carried out in Benin City between the months of April and June 2006. This period is marked with high transmission rate of malaria. Methods: The genotype of the subjects was screened using haemoglobin electrophoresis system and the P. falciparum. Pfcrt genotyping was carried out using PCR–restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP).Results: Four hundred and twenty-four subjects comprising of 207 haemoglobin AA, 136 haemoglobin AS and 81 haemoglobin SS typed individuals were enrolled for this study. No significant difference existed in the prevalence rate of malaria in the three groups (p >0.05). However, the prevalence rate of Pfcrt K76T mutant gene was higher in the haemoglobin SS genotyped individuals than the haemoglobin AA and AS subjects (p<0.05).Interpretation & conclusion: An uncontrolled use of chloroquine has been incriminated as the major cause of chloroquine resistance in Nigeria. Therefore, rapid intervention measures are needed as a matter of urgency to curb the up rise in the prevalence of the chloroquine resistant genes in our environment

Citocinas Th1 e Th2 em crianças com hemoglobinopatias e infecção por malária não complicada

The relative balance between Th1 and Th2 cytokines appears crucial in the outcome of infections. Weassessed the levels of proinflammatory Th1 cytokines, interleukin2 (IL2) and gamma interferon (IFNγ),and anti-inflammatory Th2 cytokines, IL4 and IL10 in homozygous haemoglobin (Hb) AA, SS and heterozygousAS genotyped individuals with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in Benin city, Nigeria. Levels of Th1 andTh2 cytokines of 111 children with uncomplicated malaria and 89 healthy controls were determined byEnzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay. CD4 and CD8 cells were counted using the Dynabeads T4T8Quantification protocol while haematological parameters were estimated using standard haematologicaltechniques. Th1 and Th2 cytokine levels were significantly higher in HbAA, HbAS and HbSS genotypedpatients than their respective healthy controls (PO relativo equilíbrio entre as citocinas Th1 e Th2 parece crucial para o resultado das infecções. Foram avaliados osníveis de citocinas pró-inflamatórias Th1, interleucina 2 (IL2) e interferon gama (IFNγ) e as citocinas antiinflamatóriasTh2, IL4 e IL10 em indivíduos homizigotos para hemoglobina (Hb) AA, SS e heterozigotos AS com malária nãocomplicada por P. falciparum, na cidade de Benin, na Nigéria. Os níveis de citocinas Th1 e Th2 de 111 crianças commalária não complicada e 89 controles saudáveis foram determinados por método imunoenzimático. Células CD4 eCD8 foram contadas utilizando o protocolo T4T8 Dynabeads Quantification, enquanto os parâmetros hematológicosforam estimados através de técnicas hematológicas. Níveis de citocinas Th1 e Th2 foram significativamente maioresem pacientes HbAA, HBAs e HbSS do que os respectivos controles (

Credit Use and Production Efficiency of Cocoa Farms in Ondo State, Nigeria

This study analyzed the pattern of access/use of credits by cocoa farmers in Ondo State and its effect on technical efficiency in cocoa production. The study was based on primary data obtained by interviewing a cross-section of 183 randomly selected cocoa farms. These were drawn in a multi-stage sampling process that covered the five dominant cocoa producing Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Ondo State Nigeria, namely: Idanre, Ondo West, Odigbo, Owo, and Akure South. The data were analyzed using descriptive and stochastic frontier methods. The study found that most (95.1%) of the cocoa farms were operated by males, with a mean age of 49.8years. Majority (66.7%) had no more than primary school education. Only 58.5% of the cocoa farmers used credit during the 2009/2010 production season. The mean amount procured during the production season was N66, 259.02. These were procured mostly (83.2%) from produce merchants. Increase in credit use was revealed to be associated with significant (p<0.05) reduction in technical inefficiency among the cocoa farms. Hence, the study recommended that government and other stakeholders should support enhanced credit delivery, most especially through the produce merchant system in the study area

The role of water in transforming food systems

The United Nations Food Systems Summit aimed to chart a path toward transforming food systems toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Despite the essentiality of water for food systems, however, the Summit has not sufficiently considered the role of water for food systems transformation. This focus is even more important due to rapidly worsening climate change and its pervasive impacts on food systems that are mediated through water. To avoid that water “breaks” food systems, key food systems actors should 1) Strengthen efforts to retain water-dependent ecosystems, their functions and services; 2) Improve agricultural water management; 3) Reduce water and food losses beyond the farmgate; 4) Coordinate water with nutrition and health interventions; 5) Increase the environmental sustainability of food systems; 6) Explicitly address social inequities; and 7) Improve data quality and monitoring for water-food system linkages